Forceps.



L. G. RINK.

YFORCEPS,

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5. 1918.

1,288,995. Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

UNTTEE l; ATES PATENT @FFTQE.

LOUIS G. RINK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SHARP & SMITH,

ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FORCEPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

Application filed September 5, 1918. Serial No. 252,679.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS G. F nn, a citizen of the United States, IBSldIII at Chicago, in the county of Cook and btate of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Forceps, of which the fol- V lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in forceps 'andis fully described and explained in the specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is an end view; Flg. 4: 1s a section on the line 4 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 1s a perspective of the locking mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, 6 and 7 are the two pivoted members of the forceps which may be formed as desired at their meeting ends. The novelty of the structure lies in the locking mechanism at the opposite end, and it will, therefore, be understood that the remainder of the device can be modified as is convenient and therefore does not require detailed description.

The member 7 has projected from it, toward the member 6, an arm 8 on the end of which is an integral finger 9 the upper surface of which is beveled at 10. The member 6 of the forceps has ivoted to its end an oscillatable arm 11 having a flattened surface 12 upon which rests the end of a spring 13, the opposite end of which serves in the usual manner to separate the two members of the forceps. By this means the pivoted arm 11 is held in normal position and yet can yield in either direction. The arm 11 has on one face a series of ratchet teeth 13 with any of which the finger 9 can engage. The last of these teeth projects beyond the main portion of the arm 11, and the lateral part of the arm is cut away forming a beveled face or shoulder 14 on the rear of the ratchet.

The operation is as follows:

As the forceps are pressed together the finger 9 on the arm 8 runs over the point of the pivoted arm 11, presses the ratchet back and can be engaged with the first notch of when the spring returns it to central position and the finger engages with the beveled surface 14 on the rear of the ratchet, pressing the same in the opposite direction so that the forceps are thus released.

The present structure is advantageous because the locking mechanism can be engaged and released with the least possible shock or necessary movement of the forceps as a whole.

I realize that considerable variation is ossible in the details of this construction without departing from the spirit of my invention; therefore I do not intend to limit myself to the specific form herein shown and described except as pointed out in the following claims, in which it is my intention to claim all the novelty inherent in the con structions as broadly as is permitted by the state of the art.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A forceps comprising two pivoted members, a ratchet device pivoted to one member, a pawl device secured to the other member, the ratchet device being provided with a beveled surface on its rear to return the pawl to disengaging position after it has passed by the ratchet, a spring secured to one of said pivoted members and bearing at one end against one of said pivoted members to open the forceps and at its other end on the ratchet device to hold it normally in central position.

2. A forceps comprising two members pivoted together, a ratchet member pivoted to the end of one of said members and oscillatable about an axis longitudinal of said member and engaging a pawl device rigidly carried by the other member and adapted to engage the ratchet device, the ratchet having at its rear a beveled surface to guide the pawl to disengaging position after m0vement in engaging direction past the inner limit of the ratchet, the pivotal portion of the ratchet being provided with a flattened surface and a spring carried by the pivoted member and adapted to engage said flattened surface to hold the ratchet normally in central position.

3.'A forceps comprising two members pivoted together, an arm pivotally secured to one OF CHICAGO,

and having a flattened portion, a spring hearing at one end on the said arm to hold the same normally in central position and at the other end on the other member to open the forceps, and an arm provided with an integral finger carried by the other member and adapted to be engaged by ratchet teeth,

the pivoted arm having on its rear a curved surface to guide the finger around the rear of the ratchet. 10

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 3rd day of September, 1918.

LOUIS G. RINK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

'- Washington, D. C. 

